Nearly 50 years after her first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, Crystal Gayle has been asked to join the legendary family.

Last night (Nov. 15) during her Opry performance of her classic hit "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," Gayle was joined on stage by Carrie Underwood. Underwood then extended the invitation to Gayle to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.

“I was really excited when they said Carrie wanted to sing with me…very surprised,” Gayle said of the moment. "I'm so happy, so honored, and I've always felt a part of the Opry, but this makes it official."

"I've claimed them whether they've claimed me or not," Gayle told Rolling Stone Country. "They've been my family for a long time."

“Crystal Gayle’s music is truly timeless, like the Grand Ole Opry,” said Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. “Her velvety voice and friendly personality will make this special family even more special.”

Gayle's official induction into the Opry will be held during the January 21 show, which will be held at the Ryman Auditorium. Gayle made her first Ryman appearance nearly 50 years ago, when she was just 16 years old. “I can still see the stage," she said. "I was probably wringing my hands...I sang (a Marty Robbins song) and wore a little shiny dress my mother made me."

65-year-old Gayle, the youngest sibling of country legend Loretta Lynn, was named the CMA's Female Vocalist of the Year in 1977 and 1978. She is also a three-time ACM Female Vocalist winner.

Gayle's induction marks the first new Grand Ole Opry member since Little Big Town in 2014.